You Do Realize You're Cousins, Right?
by DramioneLurver
Summary: When they were little, people found it cute and funny and sweet. But now that they're teenagers, people – including their parents – don't react the same way. Hugo/Lily
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione belong to JKR. Lily is Harry and Ginny's daughter, therefore, Lily belongs to JKR. Hugo is Ron and Hermione's son, therefore, Hugo belongs to JKR. I am not JKR, therefore, Lily and Hugo do not belong to me. Logic makes me sad…**

**A/N: I shall ask only one thing of you, my lovely readers. If you don't like the fact that this is about a romance between cousins, don't read. I really don't need to have people flame me for writing about something they find disgusting. I think this pairing is cute. Maybe I can convert you. (Come to dark side… )**

**The funny (and only _slightly_ disturbing) thing about this story is the fact that it's loosely based off my real life cousins, whom we shall call Brett and Andrea. In fact, the title is a quote from my uncle to the two of them. Hehe.**

**Now, this first bit is just the prologue, an introduction to the friendship between our two Weasleys. This will end up being a short multichapter about how this beautiful friendship becomes a romance. I hope you enjoy it, and please review and tell me what you think!**

When he was three, she was two.

Back then, their mothers used to use each other as babysitters, so they saw each other nearly every day.

He read her books as she listened intently.

She drew him pictures of them together.

Their older siblings didn't want them to mess with their games, so they usually went outside and played pretend together.

Whenever they ate together, they insisted on sitting next to each other and always shared their food, despite the efforts of their mothers.

And when it came time to say goodbye, they always gave each other the biggest hugs.

They called each other their best friend.

When he was five, she was four.

Nothing had changed. Not really.

They still saw each other nearly every day.

He still read her books as she listened intently, but now he actually read the words instead of making up a story to go with the pictures, and she would interrupt with comments sometimes.

She still drew him pictures of them together, except now they actually looked like people, with hair and big eyes and red smiles, always holding each other's stick hands.

Their older siblings now let them play their games with them sometimes, but the two still preferred playing outside, where they could pretend they were traveling through time, playing Quidditch, defeating Voldemort, or just playing house. He would always be the daddy, and she would be the mommy. After looking through some old pictures one day with their mommies, she even talked him into pretending to get married. She wore her prettiest dress and he found some funny looking clothes that were much too big for him. They held hands and kissed at the end, just like people are supposed to when they get married.

Whenever they ate together, they still insisted on sitting next to each other. And they still shared food, but they were more sly about it, sneaking favorites back and forth.

And when it came time to say goodbye, they still always gave each other the biggest hugs.

They called each other their best friend in the whole wide world.

When he was ten, she was nine.

Some things had changed, but some hadn't.

Since they were older, they saw each other whenever they wanted to, which was typically every day.

Since they both could read, he usually didn't read to her, except when they had sleepovers at each other's houses; then he would always read her a story before bed, lying together in the same bed so they both could see the pictures. Sometimes they fell asleep like that, but their mothers always cooed and smiled and put blankets over them.

Since he didn't like drawing very much, she didn't draw very much either. Sometimes when they spent a long period of time – like a week – away from each other though, she would write him a letter and draw a picture of the two of them playing together on the back.

Since their older siblings were all at Hogwarts, they got to do whatever they wanted. Sometimes they still played pretend, either inside or outside. Outside, they'd still pretend to play Quidditch or fight against Voldemort or other evil monsters. Inside, she'd talk him into playing house, which typically involved a mix of dress-up, baking treats, and being the parents of imaginary children.

Whenever they ate together, they were the only children there, so of course they sat next to each other. And they actually were much better at hiding the fact that they slid each other different foods under the table.

And when it came time to say goodbye, they always hugged for the longest time.

They called each other their best friend in the whole wide world forever and ever.

When he was eleven, she was ten.

He was old enough to go to Hogwarts, and she wasn't.

They spent every waking second of the last week of August together and even talked their mothers into letting them have four sleepovers that week. On September 1st, they sat next to each other on the car ride to the station. His mother pushed his trolley for him, letting him walk next to her and hold her hand. After passing through the barrier and seeing the Hogwarts Express, she burst into tears, and he hugged her. They didn't leave each other's arms until the last possible second, shouting promises to write back and forth.

She stayed there with her parents, aunts, and uncles until the train was out of sight. Then she wiped away her tears and sniffled, cuddling back into the warm and comforting embrace of her mother.

She felt lonely never seeing him.

Sometimes she would read his favorite books, just because.

She did write to him every other day. Sometimes she even drew pictures on the back.

Her friends would come over to play sometimes. Their mommy and her mommy were best friends, and she liked playing with them. But they weren't her best friend in the whole wide world forever and ever.

And they never had sleepovers. Because they were boys and they were too old for sleepovers, Mommy said.

Come meal time, she would hardly touch his favorite foods until Mommy told her she had to. The taste of them reminded her of him, and she told him so in her letters.

Sometimes she wished that he could come home and hug her, just to make her feel better.

After all, Hugo was Lily's best friend.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, my dear readers! I wanted to say THANK YOU so much to all my reviewers of this story for being so kind a supportive. I hope you grow to love this pairing as much as I do! I apologize for the lack of posting, but I haven't been any fanfic at all since October. I you want to hear my excuses, I'll put them on my profile, but know I'm sorry.**

**Anyway, the chapters of this story won't be very long; they're just meant to be snapshots of how things are between Hugo and Lily. I should get another out before the end of the month. All feedback is appreciated! Candy cane cookies to all my reviewers!**

_"Hugo!"_

_ Spinning around so fast he nearly toppled over, five-year old Hugo Weasley looked at his mother with wide, innocent eyes. Next to him, his cousin, Lily, shot a quick glance over her shoulder towards her aunt before turning back to her make-believe stove, waving her arm. The pale stick in her hand may not have been a real wand, but it worked perfectly well in the four-year old's opinion._

_ "Time to come inside; it's getting dark."_

_ "But mum!" Hugo protested, tugging on Lily's arm to try and get her to help him argue his case. The redhead shrugged him off though, still busily directing imaginary ingredients into her big pot, humming like her grandmother as she did so._

_ "No buts," his mother said automatically._

_ "Can't I stay out with Lily?" Hugo begged . " Please?"_

_ "Lily should come in, too," his mother replied._

_ "But Auntie Hermione!" Lily whined, suddenly and urgently joining Hugo's side now that it concerned her directly._

_ "No buts," Hermione repeated firmly. "Now in you go."_

_ Grumbling, the two cousins slowly made their way back to the house, exaggerating every heavy step. Halfway there, Lily grasped Hugo's hand and pulled him closer._

_ "Maybe my mum will let us have some biscuits and milk," she whispered, already getting excited about the prospect._

_ "Maybe," Hugo echoed, not celebrating the possible treat quite yet. Nevertheless, when Lily started to scurry faster, he sped up as well._

"Ugh, I hate Ancient Runes," Hugo complained, collapsing into his favorite red chair in the Gryffindor common room. Lily dropped into his lap from the side, hanging her legs over one of the arms of the chair and draping her arm across his shoulder. The fifteen year old boy grunted once, shifting his cousin slightly to the right.

"I told you not to take it," Lily reminded him.

"It's not so bad," Will argued. The blond-haired boy was Hugo's age, but he had become good friends with both of the Weasley cousins over the past few years. "It's not every that difficult."

"Maybe for you," Kat said, dropping her bag to the floor next to couch before sitting down next to the blond. "I think it's almost as hard as Arithmancy."

"Arithmancy is a lot easier than Ancient Runes," Hugo declared. Before he could even finish his sentence, however, more than a couple of mouths opened in protest, each saying something along the lines of the Weasley boy being insane and Arithmancy being concentrated horror. For a few minutes, the five friends discussed their classes, mostly sharing grievances.

"Okay, can we change the subject now?" Georgia suggested. "Classes are finally over for the weekend."

"Agreed," Lily replied. Looking mostly at Hugo, she then asked if anyone in the group had made plans for the weekend. The other two girls shrugged noncommittally, nonverbally answering in the negative.

"I still have to finish that paper for Flitwick," Will admitted sheepishly, struggling to repress a slight grin as Kat rolled her eyes. "I'll probably hit the library tomorrow morning."

"I might join you," Hugo announced. At Lily's curious glance, the boy diverted his eyes as his cheeks and ears reddened ever so slightly. "I was thinking of getting a head start studying for the O.W.L.s."

"Already?" Lily asked, the disbelief in her tone echoed in the looks their friends also shot the boy.

"Well, Rose said I'd better start soon!" he said defensively. "Last year she started preparing in October. It's the middle of November now, and if I want to get half as good of notes, I better hurry up."

"No offense, but your sister's kind of crazy," Georgia said, not for the first time.

"Crazy smart," Kat said, her voice betraying her envy.

"And just insane," Lily murmured so only Hugo could hear her, good-naturedly sharing a small smile with her cousin as she thought about the fiery redhead.

"Don't I know it," he replied softly in her ear. "She's just like mum."

Lily laughed, scooping her strawberry blonde hair around to the left side of her next before she let her head rest on Hugo's shoulder. The other three Gryffindors had continued conversing among themselves,

"If it weren't for those two, I never would have taken Ancient Runes in the first place," he moaned.

"Aw, my poor Hugo," she replied with mirth, her smile widening when he sent her an annoyed look. "At least after this year you never have to take the class again."

"True," he admitted, cocking his head to the side while he thought about how marvelous it would be when he was finally done with Ancient Runes. "After my O.W.L., I could die happy without seeing another rune of any kind. Ever."

"I'll make a mental note of that," Lily teased.

"Do!" he commanded, facing her with a serious expression. "I'll put you in charge of keeping me away from runes of all sorts."

"Oh, I don't know about that. Sounds like I'd be real busy."

"It would be a life-long position," he admitted. "Would that be a problem?"

"Spending a lifetime with you?" Lily said with a smile. "It doesn't exactly run contrary to any of my current plans."

"Excellent."

Content, the fourteen-year-old girl leaned against her cousin again, merely listening as he rejoined the conversation with the others. After an hour or so, Hugo's hand came up to rub slow circles on her lower back.

"You going to fall asleep on me again?" he murmured in her ear.

"Nun-uh," she mumbled, eyes half-closed. "I'm good. Not even tired yet."

"Liar," Hugo replied, sending her a half-grin, half-smirk. Channeling her inner adult, she maturely stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"I need food," she declared suddenly, knowing that substance would help her stay up a little longer. "Let's go visit the House Elves."

"I don't want to," Georgia complained, her words muffled by the fact that her head had fallen into her cupped hands as she set her elbows on the small table in front of them.

"Me neither," Kat said. "I don't want to get up. I'm too comfy right here."

"So I make a good pillow after all?" Will asked, the amusement evident in his voice. Looking up at Hugo, he rolled his eyes good-naturedly when the dark-haired girl curled against his side swatted his head.

"I'll come, Lily," Hugo offered, having already known that he would get roped into coming along even if he didn't volunteer. Nevertheless, Lily smiled brilliantly at him and jumped up off his lap.

"Maybe we can get some of those biscuits!" Lily exclaimed joyfully.

"Maybe," Hugo echoed. Down in the kitchens, the elves did happen to have Lily's favorite kind of biscuits, along with many other delicious treats. By the time the two cousins returned to the Gryffindor common room, however, their three friends had all fallen asleep. After shaking them awake long enough to guide them upstairs, Hugo and Lily met down in front of the fireplace again, sharing the snacks and drinking butterbeer until the flames died. As the embers glowed softly, the two continued to talk quietly, curled up side by side in the red armchair. Although they both had stiff necks in the morning when they woke up to the sound of students charging through the common room on their way to breakfast, neither regretted staying up late or accidentally falling asleep together.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: THANK YOU so much to all my reviewers and readers of this story. Your support means more than I can say. I again must ask for your forgiveness in the gap between updating, but I have been on a year long hiatus due to personal reasons. But I am back now, and very glad to be so! Again, all comments are adored and cherished!**

"…_and then James hid it away in some secret spot, mummy!" Lily whined loudly, the shine of tears gathering in her eyes. "And he won't tell me where!"_

"_Oh, it's all right, Lily-bug," Ginny said gently, repeatedly stroking her little girl's light reddish-blonde hair. "I'll talk to James, okay?"_

"_And you'll make him give Jiffy back?"_

"_Yes, yes, I'll make him give Jiffy back," Ginny promised, hiding her amusement at the young girl's solemn expression. A pop resounded through the room, and suddenly the four-year old hopped off of her mother's lap._

"_Hugo, Hugo, Hugo!" she called, rushing over to where her cousins, aunt, and uncle had just appeared. Ignoring greetings from the adults, the small girl flung herself at Hugo, wrapping her arms tightly around the boy. Taken off guard, his surprise didn't keep him from smiling and returning the hug. "I missed you."_

"_I missed you, too, Lil," he replied as she pulled away, a serious expression on her face that concerned him slightly._

"_James is being mean to me again! C'mon, let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and heading for her bedroom. "I'll tell you the whole story." _

"_Okay," Hugo agreed immediately, quickly looking up at his mother for permission. By the time Hermione actually nodded, the two were already in the doorway, and Lily had already started recounting her tragic tale of James's theft of her precious stuffed phoenix._

"—and then Rachelle turns around and says that she saw Terrance and Amy in the corridor last week, whispering all secretly," Georgia reported, leaning towards Kat to reduce the possibility of eavesdroppers.

"Why is this so interesting?" Will asked in a stage whisper. Hugo shrugged, opening his mouth to say something, but the words never found life, for at that instant, Lily Potter stormed through the portrait hole, demanding the attention of the entire Gryffindor Common Room.

Without even realizing that everyone was staring at her, the strawberry blonde crossed the room. Upon reaching the area where her cousin and friends were standing, she stopped, folding her arms. Her mouth turned down in a pout, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"What's the matter, Lily?" he asked as he moved closer, concerned about how upset she clearly was.

"Hugo…" she began, her voice breaking. Immediately, Hugo took hold of her upper arm and led her upstairs to his dormitory, giving only one single glance backwards to silently assure their friends that he would take care of everything.

As soon as they entered the empty dorm, Lily twisted around and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulder. His own instinctively circled her waist.

"What happened, Lil?" he repeated softly, sitting down on the edge of his four-poster bed. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not _crying_!" she protested, lifting her head from his shoulder far enough for him to see the water in her eyes still stubbornly refusing to fall. "I'm just… I'm just… Why do they do this to me, Hugh?"

"James and Fred again?" he asked in a low tone the betrayed his frustration even more than the hard glint in his eyes. "What'd they do now?"

"James spilt Irremovable Ink all over my Charms essay that due tomorrow, the one that I've been working on all week!" she cried. "They did it on purpose!"

Sighing heavily, the blue-eyed boy shifted to sit further back on the bed and ran a hand through the hair of his cousin.

"It'll be okay," he promised, already rattling his brain for a spell that he could use to fix the problem. "Did you try to transfer the words onto a new—"

"I tried everything I could think of!" she exclaimed, her anger and frustration keeping the depression and tears at bay for the moment. "Why do they have to be such prats?!"

"They just enjoy poking fun at you, Lil, you know that."

"But I have to do well on this paper, Hugh! I can't afford anything less than an E if I want to keep my grade at an A, and I was really hoping for an O," she said, her mouth twisting into a sad frown.

"You'll do fi—"

"And they _knew_ how hard I worked on that essay!" she fumed, the anger returning to her eyes as she jumped to her feet and started pacing back and forth by the bed. "I'd _told _them just yesterday that I couldn't go out to the field because of it… Oh, I bet those two were just getting their petty revenge because I picked school work over extra practice!"

"Probably," Hugo agreed, leaning backwards onto his extended arms. "Every time you pick anything over Quidditch, they have a fit."

"Ugh!" Lily threw herself facedown onto the bed next to Hugo, the bundled up blankets of the unmade bed partially muffling her curses and grumbles of discontent. Then she turned her head to the side, moving her hair out of her face. Staring at some object behind him that Hugo couldn't see, she said, "Sometimes I regret trying out for the team at all."

"But you're a great Keeper, Lily," Hugo said, balancing on his left arm to reach over and clasp her shoulder with his right hand. "You wanted this."

"I used to," she whispered, gaze skittering up to meet his for less than a second before darting away again. His eyebrow crunched together as he tilted his head and retracted his hand.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sighing again, Lily flipped over and propped herself up on her elbow. For a few moments, she simply stared at the gathered fabric in front of her face, not saying a word.

"It's not for me, Hugh," she admitted softly. "I tried out for the team because I wanted to make my mum proud. You know how much my parents love Quidditch, they both played for Gryffindor house when they were here…"

"That doesn't mean _you _have to," Hugo interrupted, his voice quiet but firm. "Albus never felt the need to try out."

"Yeah, but that's _Albus_," Lily replied, rolling her eyes. "He's never… He's always looked up to Dad more than Mum, and Dad's the one that always goes on about how everything's our choice and all that junk. I don't think he would have even batted an eye if any of us had been sorted into a different house, unlike Uncle Fred or…"

"My dad," Hugo finished for her, remembering his reaction to their cousin Roxanne's sorting.

"But Mum… I've always wanted to make her proud," Lily confessed, shaking her head back and forth to herself.

"And you don't think she'll be proud unless you're a Quidditch player?" Hugo asked in disbelief. By the guilty expression on her face, he knew he had struck the truth with his guess. "Lily, that's ridiculous. Your mum loves you. I'm sure she's proud of you."

"You just say that because you have to," Lily mumbled, looking down at the folds of fabric again. Hugo cupped her chin in his hand and tipped up her face, waiting for her to give in and look at him.

"No, I don't."

For the longest few seconds ever to have passed in the world, Lily stared up into those familiar light blue eyes, at first testing his sincerity but then simply finding herself engrossed in the small, nonlinear lines that stretch outwards from his pupil. As her thoughts drifted, her lips curled into a smile.

"Don't say that because you have to or don't have to say that?" she asked, her own eyes twinkling with mirth. Letting go of her chin, the contagious expression spread, widening Hugo's own mouth with amusement.

"Neither," he answered, sparking the young girl to raise her eyebrows.

"Oh really?" she questioned.

"Really," he asserted, grinning like a maniac. Then he slid off the bed and to his feet, stretching out a hand. "C'mon. Let's go see if I can fix that paper of yours."

Accepting the offer, Lily placed her hand in his and they exited the dormitory side by side. As they returned to the common room, she leaned closer and whispered her gratitude in his ear. He pulled his hand from hers to loop his arm around her shoulders, giving her a sort of sideways hug as he smiled softly. She responded by wrapping her arm around his middle, doing the same.

Neither noticed the strange looks that were exchanged as they passed through the room, nor did they hear the whispers.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I have returned! For one month, I share post like a madwoman! I shall finish this story and others! I will keep you waiting no longer!**

**Thank you so much to all of my loyal readers. I finish this for you. **

_"When is Lily going to be here, Mum?" five-year old Hugo asked, the calm of his voice deceptively masking the excitement his mother clearly saw dancing in his eyes._

_ "Soon," Hermione told him, closing her book and putting it down on the small table beside her chair. "In fact, let's get out the sleeping bags."_

_ "Oh! And will you fire the lantern, Mummy?!" he asked, the excitement now leaking into his tone as he clenched his little fists._

_ "Not until bedtime," she reminded up, standing up and heading towards the hall closet, her small son on her heels. _

_ "Can I bring our treats into the tent, too, Mummy?" he asked, waiting in the hallway as she retrieved two child sleeping bags from the dark closet. Before she could respond, though, a sudden 'pop' announced the arrival of Ginny and Lily._

_ "Hugo, Hugo, Hugo!" Lily squealed in greeting, practically hopping across the floor to reach her cousin and best friend. The two collided together in a hug, then, chattering back and forth, went into the kitchen for the bowl of popcorn and plate of bisuits that were waiting for them._

_ Rolling her eyes at their children's antics, Ginny greeted Hermione with a smile and helped her bring the sleeping bags into the other room and roll them out in the small, indoor tent that Hugo had set up early that afternoon in preparation for their special sleepover. Both women shared their amusement at how excited the little ones were, and Ginny thanked her sister-in-law for hosting the two munchkins for the night._

_ "Here are the biscuits!" Lily exclaimed, jumping inside the tent and onto the sleeping bags. One of the biscuits slipped off the small plate in her hands and fell to the floor, but Ginny quickly picked it up and put it back. Just as soon as she did so, Hugo copied Lily's actions and popcorn spewed the every direction, sparking giggles from the four and five year old and groans from their mothers._

_ Instead of trying to pick up all the popcorn pieces, the two women vacated the tent, then stood outside and bent down to stick their heads in the entry way. Hugo and Lily were already snuggled halfway in their sleeping bags, Lily munching happily on a biscuit and listening as Hugo told her a story about what Rose had done to do earlier that day._

"Okay, I think we're all set," Hugo announced, hands on his hips as his eyes roamed over the collection of books, rolls of parchment paper, spare quills and ink bottles neatly organized on the three tables they had shoved together.

"Where'd you put the biscuits?" Lily asked, also looking over the piles of schoolwork and study material they'd gathered.

"Under the table, next to the rest of your snack food," he said.

"Hey! _Our _snack food," she corrected him, sending him a smile. "I'll share."

"How gracious of you," he teased, taking a seat on the couch. "But we'll see if I have an appetite for anything."

Truth be told, the fifth year was looking a tad bit sick to his stomach, but Lily knew that he was simply nervous.

"You're not taking the tests for another six months, Hugh," she reassured him, sitting down next to him and laying a hand on his upper back. She ran her hand across the span of his back a couple of times. "And you'll need _something _if you're going to stay up all night."

"I know, I know," he replied. Just then the portrait door opened and in walked Will and Georgia.

"Hey, guys," Will greeted them twisting around and resting his right arm on the back of the couch to look at his friends. "How was Patrol?"

The two Gryffindor Prefects shrugged.

"Fine. Boring," Georgia said, walking closer and peering down at the tables beyond the couch. She raised her eyebrows. "Study night?"

"First of many," Hugo told her, nodding his head.

"Hugo wants to stay up all night reviewing all of first year," Lily added, pretending to gag. Georgia laughed, but Will seemed impressed.

"A whole night for first year?" he asked, walking around the couch and leaning against an armchair across the table from the two cousins. "Did we really learn that much?"

"What do you remember about first year History of Magic?" Hugo retorted. Georgia let out an exaggerated groan and collapsed into the chair Will as leaning against.

"Good point," Will said, smiling. Then he looked around quickly. "Where's Kat?"

"She stole a biscuit and headed off to bed," Lily told him, reaching down and taking a biscuit from off the tray beneath the table herself. Will grinned and rolled his eyes. Then he crouched down and copied Lily's move.

"Think I might do the same," he said, directing his grin at Lily when she protested his stealing of 'her' biscuits. Hugo laughed and Lily pouted at him, then the three friends bid Will goodnight as he headed for the staircase.

"So are you two actually going to pull an all nighter?" Georgia asked, swinging her long legs over the arm of the chair she was draped across and kicking her feet.

"That's the plan," Lily said cheerfully, popping the last bite of her biscuit in her mouth. Hugo asked her for the book on the top of the right most stack and she handed it to him.

"Well, good luck with that," the blond girl offered. For a few moments the three sat there in silence. Then Georgia pushed herself upward and slid to her feet. "I think I'm going to follow suit. I'll see you two crazies in the morning."

"See you," Hugo echoed mindlessly, flipping through the pages in his hand, searching for something in particular. The blond shook her head to herself, but neither of the cousins noticed.

"So what did you want me to do?" Lily asked, turning her torso to face Hugo on the couch. She brought up her right leg to curl it into a pretzel shape with left and put a hand on each knee.

"Okay…" Hugo started slowing. Scanning the page he'd just opened to with his finger, he paused halfway down the page and handed the book over to Lily. "Start here and just ask me questions about the material."

"Anything you want to focus on?" she asked, taking the book from his hands and placing it in her lap. "Dates, people, ideas, inventions…?"

"All of it," he said, repositioning the couch pillow behind his back and leaning against it.

Obediently, the strawberry blonde began firing out questions. For the next few hours, the two worked through History of Magic. Lily's torrent of questions gradually slowed down as she snacked on some of the stash of treats beneath the table. When they started, the flames in the fireplace had been roaring strong, but by the time Hugo declared History of Magic checked off for the night, the flames had reduced to smoldering embers.

"What next?" Lily asked, and in response, Hugo picked a text from the table and tossed it to her. "Charms?"

"You tell me the charm, I'll perform it and describe the correct wand movements, which you'll compare with the book," he instructed her, slowly standing up on his feet. He stretched for a few moments, then walked to the other side of the table, where he had ample room, picking up his wand on the way there.

As Lily listed the charms, he cast the spells, filling the dark room momentarily with bursts of colorful light. History of Magic had been quite boring, but Charms, Lily found, was quite magical. Transfiguration, which followed, was equally, if not even more so, enjoyable to watch. Hugo had a knack for Transfiguration in particular – a subject that Lily thought to be his best, outside of Arithmancy – and watching him perform various spells in the darkened Common Room with such ease and flair filled her with admiration, despite their elementary level.

A couple of hours before sunrise, Hugo walked back around the table, dropping his wand in between two piles of books, and collapsed sideways onto the couch, bending his torso backwards over the arm until his head was completely upside down, framed on both sides by his hanging arms.

"Too much standing too late at night," he whined. Lily pulled his ankles and dragged him down the couch further toward her until his shoulders reached the pillow. He pouted and squirmed down a little more, resting his head on the pillow and bringing his arms up and over to cross them in front of his chest.

"Almost done," she said, but her encouragement effort fell a bit flat when she let out a huge yawn while speaking. He smiled at her fatigue, then slipped his eyes closed. Lily reached forward and put the Transfiguration text they'd been using back in its place, then lied down partially next to but mostly on top of her cousin, letting out a soft sound of contentment as she did.

"Lils," he grumbled, opening his eyes and sitting up a bit.

"What?" she murmured. "You looked comfy."

"But I can't fall asleep yet," he protested, propping his left arm on the cushion beneath him and sitting up a bit more. "I still have Potions, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Reluctantly, Lily sat back up. Hugo decided to work on Potions next, and Lily decided that they needed to eat more snacks. She placed a bowl of sweets and tray of little sandwiches between them on the couch as they sat on either end, cross-legged and facing each other. Two hours later though, when the sun had peeked over the horizon and the first morning bird students came downstairs from their dormitories, they had moved on to Herbology, and Lily was lying down, her head on Hugo's lap. His right hand was hooked behind his neck while his left played with strands of Lily's strawberry blonde hair, listening as she recited various plants from the book she held above her head with both hands.

At the first sound of footsteps, Hugo had turned his head and glanced behind him. Upon seeing a couple of seventh years, he pushed them from his mind and refocused on Lily's words. In the following thirty minutes, however, students continued to trickle in, and more and more often, when he looked up at those passing in front of them, he would find them already staring at him and Lily with a strange, almost sour expression on their faces. Most would turn away the moment he met their gaze, but a few shook their heads.

"What's with them?" Lily murmured quietly, having looked over to see what stole Hugo's attention away from studying.

"I don't know," he replied, frowning.


End file.
